Humboldt County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Eureka, Arcata and Fortuna
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Humboldt County. Humboldt County is home to Eureka, Arcata, Fortuna and Rio Dell. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (1 in force); the latest is “45-day urgency moratorium on data centers”. Construction employs 2,780, up 28.6% since 2019. Unemployment was 5.6% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 14 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Humboldt County
Humboldt County is home to Eureka, Arcata, Fortuna and Rio Dell.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alderpoint, Bayview, Benbow, Big Lagoon, Cutten, Fairhaven, Fieldbrook, Fields Landing, Garberville, Hoopa, Humboldt Hill, Hydesville, Indianola, Kep'el, Loleta, Manila, McKinleyville, Miranda, Myers Flat, Myrtletown, Orick, Phillipsville, Pine Hills, Redcrest, Redway, Samoa, Scotia, Shelter Cove, Wautec, Weitchpec, Weott, Westhaven-Moonstone, Willow Creek.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Humboldt County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 136,298 | 131,647 | ▼ 3.4% | 35th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 50,974 | 52,251 | ▲ 2.5% | 32nd of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,776 | $57,492 | ▲ 37.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,161 | 2,780 | ▲ 28.6% | 5th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 5.6% | ▲ 1.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 14 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 234 MW of capacity, 71% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 52,251 jobs in 2025, up 2.5% from 2019. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Humboldt County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 39.62¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities. 131,647 people live here, down 3.4% since 2020.
Who powers Humboldt County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +14 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Humboldt County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 5,047,461 | 39.62¢ | 30% |
| Shelter Cove Resort Improvement Dist No. 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 167 MW | 71% |
| Other technologies | 51 MW | 22% |
| Solar | 9 MW | 4% |
| Battery storage | 5 MW | 2% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humboldt Bay | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Natural gas | 167 MW | 2010 |
| Humboldt Sawmill Company | Mendocino Forest Products | Other technologies | 32 MW | 1938 |
| Fairhaven Power | DG Fairhaven Power LLC | Other technologies | 19 MW | 1986 |
| Foster Clean Power B | Foster Clean Power B LLC | Battery storage | 5 MW | 2025 |
| Redwood Coast Airport Microgrid | Redwood Coast Energy Authority | Solar | 4 MW | 2021 |
| Foster Clean Power A | Foster Clean Power A, LLC | Battery storage | 4 MW | 2025 |
The Humboldt County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 52,251 | $57,492 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,780 | $82,375 | 1.00 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Humboldt County
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45-day urgency moratorium on data centers | In force | 2026-09 | |
| Proposed county moratorium on data centers | Proposed | — |
Humboldt County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Humboldt County, Mendocino County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humboldt County | 131,647 | ▲ 2.5% | 234 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Del Norte County | 26,410 | ▲ 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Mendocino County | 88,122 | ▼ 1.4% | 23 MW | 1 MW | 2 | 1 |
| Siskiyou County | 42,013 | ▼ 0.4% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Trinity County | 15,720 | ▲ 4.3% | 153 MW | — | — | — |
More of California
Humboldt County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Humboldt County, California?
2 utilities have service territory in Humboldt County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Shelter Cove Resort Improvement Dist No. 1. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Eureka, CA in?
Eureka is in Humboldt County, California. About 25,304 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Arcata, CA in?
Arcata is in Humboldt County, California. About 19,047 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Fortuna, CA in?
Fortuna is in Humboldt County, California. About 12,003 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Humboldt County?
7 operating plants with 234 MW of capacity. The largest is Humboldt Bay (167 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Humboldt County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Humboldt County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mendocino County.
Is Humboldt County adding jobs?
Employers counted 52,251 jobs in 2025 against 50,974 in 2019 (+2.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,161 to 2,780.
Does Humboldt County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Humboldt County, 1 in force.